Every American deserves a voice in our democracy. Today’s U.S. Supreme Court stay of a lower court order allows the Trump administration to shut down the census early. With potentially millions of Americans still uncounted, this Supreme Court decision is a blow to our democracy.

That is why Common Cause is mobilizing our 1.5 million members to pressure the U.S. Senate to demand that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) allow an up-or-down floor vote on bipartisan legislation to extend the census that is supported by a majority of Senators. Six Republican Senators are already on record supporting a census extension bill, the bipartisan 2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act (S. 4571). If the legislation is given a floor vote it will pass comfortably with bipartisan support.

Sen. McConnell’s efforts to block this bill from a full floor vote runs against the historic practice of Republicans and Democrats committing to carrying out an accurate Census count of every person, regardless of partisan outcome, as mandated by our U.S. Constitution.

If the administration is allowed to derail the census, millions of American may lose out on fair political representation. And they will lose out on their fair share of government funding – funding paid for with their taxes – to pay for roads, hospitals, and schools.

It is time for the Senate to stand up to allow every American to be counted. With an election just weeks away, the nation will be watching to see where they stand.